Perceived parenting styles, academic achievement and academic motivation: A causal model

Introduction: Based on the self-determination theory (SDT) the relationship between perceived parenting styles (involvement, autonomy-support, and warmth), academic motivation and academic achievement was investigated. Materials and methods: In correlational design, 412 Iranian sophomore high school students were selected randomly and completed 2 scales: Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and Perceptions of Parents Scale (POPS). Path analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Results indicated that perceived parenting styles had an effect on academic achievement through mediation of academic motivation. The parents’ autonomy-support perceived had an indirect and parents’ warmth perceived had a direct effect on academic achievement. Conclusion: The results suggested the importance of family context on motivation and academic achievement.